MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV 2021 Owners Manual

#
Dep ress and hold the brake pedal firm ly wi th
yo ur left foot. #
With your right foot , fully depress the accel‐
erator pedal. #
After no more than five seconds, take your
left foot quickly off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accelera‐
tion. #
Swit chon ESP ®
once the acceleration proce‐
dure is comple te.
Ending optimised acceleration #
Remo veyour foot from the accelerator pedal. #
Reactivate the ESP ®
.
% Afteryo u pull away with optimised accelera‐
tion, components of the driv etra in can
become very hot, which means that opti‐
mised acceleration values may be reached
again on lyafte r a few minutes. Note
s on driving &
WARNING Risk of accident due to
objects in the driver's foot we ll
Objects in the driver's foot we ll may impede
pedal tr avel or block a depressed pedal.
This jeopardises the operating and road
saf ety of theve hicle. #
Stow all objects in theve hicle securely
so that they cannot getinto the driver's
fo ot we ll. #
Alw aysfit th efloor mats securely and
as prescribed in order toensure that
th ere is alw ays suf ficient room forthe
pedals. #
Do not use loose floor mats and do not
place floor mats on top of one ano ther. &
WARNING Risk of accident due toincor‐
re ct foot we ar
Incor rect foot we ar includes, forex ample:
R shoes with plat form soles
R shoes with high heels
R slippers
There is a risk of an accident. #
Alw ayswe ar suitable foot we ar so that
yo u can operate the pedals safel y. &
WARNING Risk of accident if the ignition
is switched off while driving
If yo u swit choff the ignition while driving,
saf ety functions are restricted or no longer
av ailable.
This may af fect the po werst eering sy stem
and the brake forc e boosting, forex ample.
Yo u will need touse considerably more force
to steer and brake, forex ample. #
Do not swit choff the ignition while driv‐
ing. 17 8
Driving and pa rking

&
DANG ER Risk of death caused by
ex haust gases
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
ga ses such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
th ese exhaust gases is hazardous tohealth
and leads topoisoning. #
Never lea vethe engine or, if present,
th e auxiliary heating running in an
enclosed space wi thout suf ficient venti‐
lation. &
WARNING Risk of skidding and of an
accident due toshifting down on slippery
ro ad sur faces
If yo u shift down on slippery road sur faces to
inc rease the engine braking ef fect, the drive
wheels may lose traction. #
Do not shift down on slippery road sur‐
fa ces toinc rease the engine braking
ef fect. &
DANG ER Risk of fata l injury due topoi‐
sonous exhaust gases
If th eta ilpipe is bloc ked or suf ficient ventila‐
tion is not possible, poisonous exhaust gases
such as carbon monoxide may enter theve hi‐
cle. This is the case when theve hicle
becomes stuck in sn ow,fo rex ample. #
Keep theta ilpipe and the area around
th eve hicle free from snow when the
engine or thest ationary heater are run‐
ning. #
Open a window on the side of theve hi‐
cle facing away from the wind toensure
an adequate supply of fresh air. &
WARNING Risk of accident due tothe
brake sy stem overheating
If yo u lea veyour foot on the brake pedal
when driving, the brake sy stem may over‐
heat.
This increases the braking dis tance and the
brake sy stem may even cause the brake sys‐
te m failure. #
Never use the brake pedal as a foot re st. #
Do not depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time
while driving. *
NO
TEEngine damage duetoexcessively
high engine speeds The engine will be damaged if
you drive with
th e engine in theov errevving range. #
Do not drive wi th the engine in theove r‐
re vving range. *
NO
TECausing wearto the brake linings
by permanently depressing the brake
pedal #
Do not permanently depress the brake
pedal while driving. #
Touse braking ef fect of the engine,
shift toa lo werge ar in good time. Driving and parking
17 9

*
NO
TEDama getothe driv etra in and
engine when pulling away #
Do not warm upthe engine while the
ve hicle is stationar y.Pull away immedi‐
atel y. #
Avoid high engine speeds and driving at
full thro ttle until the engine has reached
its operating temp erature. *
NO
TEDama getothe catalytic con verter
due tonon-combu sted fuel The engine is not
running smo othly and is
misfiring.
Non-combus ted fuel may get into the cata‐
lytic con verter. #
Only depress the accelera tor pedal
slightl y. #
Have the cause rectified immediately at
a qu alified specialist workshop. *
NO
TEReduced battery life due tofre‐
qu ent short-dis tance trips The
12V battery may not be suf ficiently
ch arge d when theve hicle is used only for
short-dis tance trips. This reduces the life of
th e batter y. #
Drive longer di stances regular lyto
ch arge the batter y. Note
s on driving with a roof load, trailer or
ful lyladen vehicle
When driving with a loaded roof luggage rack or
trailer as well as with a fully laden or fully occu‐
pied vehicle, theve hicle's driving and steering
ch aracteristics change.
Yo u should bear thefo llowing in mind:
R Do not exceed the permissible roof load and
to wing capacity. Also obser vethete ch nical
da ta inthe printed Owner's Manual.
R Evenly distribute thero of load, and place
heavy objects at the bottom. Also comply
with the no tes on loading theve hicle
(/ page 119). R
Drive attentivel y,and avoid suddenly pulling
aw ay, braking and steering as well as rapid
cornering.
Note s on driving on salt-treated roads
The braking ef fect is limited on salt-trea ted
ro ads.
Therefore, obse rveth efo llowing no tes:
R due tosalt build-up on the brake disks and
brakepads, the braking dis tance can increase
conside rably or result in braking only on one
side
R maintain a much greater safe dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front
To remo vesalt build-up:
R brake occasionally while paying attention to
th e tra ffic conditions
R carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey 18 0
Driving and pa rking

Note
s on aquaplaning
Aq uaplaning can take place once a cer tain
amount of water has accumulated on thero ad
sur face.
Obser vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precip‐
itation or in conditions in which aquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake carefully
% Also obser vethe no tes on regular lych ecking
wheels and tyres (/ page 387).
Note s on driving through water on the road
sur face
Wa ter which has entered into theve hicle can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake of the engine
and cause engine damage. Obser
vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wate r:
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 421).
R Drive at a maximum speed of 10km/h;
wate r can otherwise enter theve hicle interior
or engine compartment.
R Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi‐
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible dep thofthewa ter.
The braking ef fect of the brakes is reduced af ter
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e traf fic conditions until braking po wer has
been fully restored. Note
s on off-road driving &
WARNING Risk of accident if you do not
ke ep toline of fall on inclines
If yo u drive at an angle or turn on an incline,
th eve hicle could slip side ways, tip and roll‐
ove r. #
Alw ays drive on inclines in the line of
fa ll (straight up or down) and do not
turn. &
WARNING Risk offire due toflammable
materials on hot parts of theex haust
sy stem
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact
wi th hot parts of theex haust sy stem. #
When driving on unpa vedro ads or off-
ro ad, regular lych eck theve hicle under‐
side. #
Remo vetrapped plants or other flam‐
mable material, in particular. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. When driving off-road, sand, mud and
water or
wate r mixed with oil may getinto the brakes.
This may lead toare duction in braking ef fect or
tot al brake failure as a result of increased wear.
The braking characteristics will vary depending
on the material that has entered the sy stem. Driving and parking
181

Clean
the brakes af ter driving off-road. If you
th en notice reduced braking ef fect or hear
scraping noises, ha vethe brake sy stem checked
at a qualified specialist workshop. Adapt your
driving style to thech anged braking characteris‐
tics.
* NO
TEDama gecaused bydriving over
obs tacles The
vehicle can be damaged by:
R driving onto high kerbs or unpa vedro ads.
R quickly driving over obs tacles su chas
ke rbs, speed bumps or po tholes.
R heavy objects hitting the underbody or
ch assis components. #
Do not drive over obs tacles that could
damage theve hicle. #
Check theve hicle regular lyfor dama ge
during off-road driving. #
Adjust theve hicle speed tosuit the
ro ad sur face conditions. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a qualified
specialist workshop immediately. +
ENVIRONMENTAL
NOTEEnvironmental
dama gedue tonon-obser vance of pro‐
hibition signs Environmental pr
otection has priority. Treat
nature with respect. #
Be sure toobser veprohibition signs. Checklist before driving off-road
Check
thefo llowing points before driving off-
ro ad:
R Fuel le vel
R Vehicles with a diesel engine: AdBlue ®
le vel
R Engine oil le vel:fill engine oil tothe maxi‐
mum le velto ensure full gradeability
(/ page 352).
R Tyre-change tool kit and spare wheel
R Tyres and wheels %
Further information about special all-ter rain
tyres forre trofitting can be ob tained from a
qu alified specialist workshop.
Off-road driving
Re ad this section before driving your vehicle off-
ro ad. Practise bydriving over more gentle off-
ro ad terrain firs t.
R Obse rveth e no tes on the cross-country ABS
(/ page 214).
R Ifnecessa ry, select theF orG drive
program (vehicles with Off-road pac kage)
before driving off-road (/ page190).
R Before driving off-road, shift the transfer
case totheLO W RANGE off-roadgear (vehi‐
cles with Off- road pac kage ) (/ page 197).
R Select a vehicle le vel suitable for off-road ter‐
ra in (/ page 252). Toavo id damaging the
ve hicle, make sure there is alw ays suf ficient
ground clearance.
R Alw ayske ep the engine running and in gear
when driving on downhill gradients and
slopes. Obse rveth e no tes on driving in
mountainous terrain. 18 2
Driving and pa rking

R
Do not drive on unknown terrain that is not
easily visible and stay on mar kedro utes.
R Alw ayske ep the doors and windo wsclosed
while theve hicle is in motion.
R Deactivate Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC, cruise control and theva riable
limiter.
R Adapt your driving style to thete rrain.
R Do not use the HOLD function on steep
downhill or uphill gradients with slippery or
loose sur faces.
Driving on sand
When driving on sand, also obser vethefo llowing
instructions:
R Select theF drive prog ram.
R Select a higher vehicle le vel.
R Shift toa lo werge ar.
R Drive quickly toove rcome thero lling resist‐
ance; theve hicle may otherwise dig itself in.
R Drive in the trac ksofother vehicles if possi‐
ble. Make sure that thefo llowing prerequi‐
sites are me t: -
the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- the ground clearance is suf ficient
Fo rding
Also obser vethefo llowing information when
fo rd ing:
R Vehicles with AIR BODY CONT ROL:select
th e highest possible vehicle le vel
( / page 252).
Ve hicles with E- ACTIVE BODY CONT ROL:
select the highest possible vehicle le vel
( / page 261).
R Drive no fasterthan 10 km/h.
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 421).
R Switch off automatic climate control
(/ page 163).
R Vehicles with stationary heater/ventila‐
tion: switch thest ationary heater/ ventilation
off (/ page 166).
R Ensu rethat a bow wave does not form asyou
drive. R
Do not stop in thewate r and do not switch
off the engine. Ensure the ECO start/ stop
function is switched off (/ page185).
Driving in mountainous terrain
Also obse rveth efo llowing information when
driving in moun tainous terrain:
R Obse rveth eva lues of the approach/depar‐
ture angle and of the maximum gradient
(/ page 421).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the braking po wer of the engine when
driving downhill.
R Shift toa lo werge ar on uphill gradients and
on long, steep downhill gradients.
R Activate DSR be fore driving downhill, if nec‐
essary (/ page 232).
Checklist af ter driving off-road
Driving off-road places grea ter demands on your
ve hicle than driving on norm alroads. Check the
entire vehicle for dama geand fore ign bodies
eve rytime af ter driving off-road. Foreign bodies
in the wheels or driv etra in can lead toimbalan‐
ces and therefore vibrations. Driving and parking
18 3

R
Ifth eF orG drive program is selec‐
te d: select ano ther drive program.
R Shift the transfer case tothe on-ro ad posi‐
tion HIGH RANGE.
R Deactivate DSR.
R Lowe rth eve hicle le vel again toa le vel suita‐
ble tothero ad conditions, e.g. tothe normal
le ve l.
R Apply the brakes todry them af terfo rd ing.
R Check that the service brake is working nor‐
mally af ter a long downhill stre tch.
R Clean thefo llowing components everytime
af te r driving off-road:
- licence plate number
- headlamps and tail lamps
- tyres, wheels and wheel ar ches
- underbody
R After driving thro ugh sand, mud, water or
gr av el, ha vethefo llowing components
ch ecked and cleaned:
- brake disks and brakepads
- tyres and wheels -
axle joints ECO
start/s top function ECO
start/s top function
% Depending on the engine, the ECO start/
st op function is not available in all drive pro‐
grams. Obse rveth est atus display in the
multifunction display forth is.
The engine is switched off automatically in the
fo llowing situations if all vehicle conditions for
an automatic engine stop are me t:
R You brake theve hicle toast andstill in trans‐
mission position 005Bor005C.
R Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem: You depress the brake pedal when
tra velling at a low speed.
If th e sy stem has de tected one of thefo llowing
situations, the engine will not stop:
R Youstop at a stop sign and there is no vehi‐
cle in front of you.
R The vehicle that stopped in front of you
st arts up again. R
You manoeuv re, turn thesteering wheel
sharply or engage reve rsege ar.
% Ifth e sy stem de tects an intellige ntstop
inhibitor, forex ample, a stop sign, the engine
will not stop.
If yo u activate the HOLD function or engage
th e park position 005D,the engine can be
switched off in spite of an intelligent stop
inhibitor.
The engine is restar ted automatically if:
R You en gage transmission position 005Bor005E.
R You depress the accelerator pedal.
R An automatic engine start is requiredbythe
ve hicle.
R Youre lease the brake pedal.
R Vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem:
- Youre lease the brake pedal on a downhill
gradient and theve hicle does not roll.
- The vehicle rolls on a downhill gradient
and does not automatically enter glide
mode at 20 km/h. 184
Driving and pa rking

ECO
start/ stop function symbols in the multi‐
function display:
R The symbol 00D6(green) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: The engine was
switched off bythe ECO start/ stop function.
R The symbol 00D5(yellow) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: Not all vehicle condi‐
tions for an engine stop ha vebeen met.
R Neither the symbol 00D6nor00D5 appears
when theve hicle is at a standstill: An intelli‐
ge nt stop inhibitor was de tected, forex am‐
ple, a stop sign.
R The symbol sappears: The ECO start/
st op function is deactivated or there is a mal‐
function.
If th e engine was switched off bythe ECO start/
st op function and you lea vetheve hicle, a warn‐
ing tone sounds and the engine is not restar ted.
In addition, thefo llowing display message
appears in the multifunction display:
Vehicle is operational Switch off ignition before
exiting If
yo u do not swit choff the ignition, it is auto‐
matically switched off af terth re e minutes.
Deactivating or activating the ECO start/
sto p function #
Press button 1.
A displ ayappears in the instrument clus ter
when swit ching the ECO start/ stop function
off/on. %
A continuous sdisplay appears in the
instrument clus ter while the ECO start/ stop
function is deactivated. ECO display function
The ECO display summarises
your driving char‐
acteristics from thest art of the journey toits
completion and assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style.
Yo u can influence consum ption bydoing thefo l‐
lowing:
R driving with particular care
R driving theve hicle in drive program ;
R following thege arshift recommendations Driving and park
ing18 5

The lettering in
the segment will light up brightl y,
th e outer edge will light up and the segment will
fi ll up when thefo llowing driving style is adop‐
te d:
R 1 Steady speed
R 2 Gentle deceleration and rolling
R 3 Moderate acceleration
The lettering in the segment will be gr ey,the
outer edge will be dark and the segment will
em pty when thefo llowing driving style is adop‐
te d:
R 1 Fluctuations in speed
R 2 Heavy braking R
3 Sporty acceleration
The ECO display will show you when you ha ve
driven economically:
R The thre e segments will fill up comple tely at
th e same time
R The edges around all thre e segments will
light up
The additional range achi eved as a result of your
driving style in comparison with a driver with a
ve ry sporty driving style will be shown in the
centre of the display 4. Therange displ ayed
does not indicate a fixe dre duction in consump‐
tion. ECO Assist function
*
NO
TEPlug-in hybrid #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. Ve
hicles with a 48 V on-board electrical sys‐
te m (EQ Boo sttech nology): ECO Assist analyses data
forth eve hicle's expec‐
te dro ute. This allo wsthe sy stem tooptimally
adjust the driving style fo rth ero ute ahead, sa ve
fuel and recuperate.
ECO Assi stis displa yed on theAssistance
menu(/ page 294). 1
Event ahead
2 Distance displ ayforth eev ent ahead
3 "Foot off the accelerator" prom pt18 6
Driving and pa rking

Displ
ayable route events 1
The segments of di stance display 2show the
dis tance totheeve nt ahead as follo ws:
R Afew segments light up: theeve nt ahead is
nea r.
R Many segments light up: theeve nt ahead is
fur ther aw ay.
When theve hicle nears theeve nt, ECO Assi st
will calculate the optimal speed for maximum
fuel economy and recuperati veenergy based on
th e dis tance, speed and gradient. The Foot off
the accelerator 3messa gewill appear on the
multifunction displa y.The firs t segments in front of
theve hicle will turn green. The remaining seg‐
ments will initially stay white. If youta ke your
fo ot off the accelerator pedal in good time, the
re maining segments on the display will succes‐
sively turn green until theeve nt shown is
re ached. The driv etra in will be set for maximum
fuel econom y.Re cuperation will charge the bat‐
te ry.Re cuperation will be adap tedto the selec‐
te d drive prog ram.
The event will be shown for a short time af ter it
has been passed. If there is no response tothe
Foot off the accelerator prompt,th e segments
will remain white.
If th eev ent in volves a vehicle in front, all seg‐
ments will immediately turn green once there is
a re sponse totheFoot off the accelerator
prom pt.
Fo r active ECO Assist in drive program ;,
symbol 3will appear on the multifunction dis‐
play and on the head-up display beside transmis‐
sion position 005B. Symbol3will also appear
when the assis tant displ ayis not selec ted. If
th e sy stem does not inter vene du ring the
eve nt ahead, no thing will be displa yed. The sys‐
te m will be passive.
ECO Assist is active only in drive programs ;
and A.
Sy stem limits
ECO Assist can function even more precisely if
th ero ute is adhered towhen route guidance is
active. The basic function is also available with‐
out active route guidance. Notall information
and traf fic situations can be fore seen. The qual‐
ity depends on the map data.
ECO Assist is only an aid. The driver is responsi‐
ble forke eping a safe dis tance from theve hicle
in front, forve hicle speed and for braking in
good time. The driver must be ready tobrake at
all times ir respective of whe ther the sy stem
inter venes.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R If visibility is poor, e.g. due toinsuf ficient illu‐
mination of thero ad, high lyvariable shade
conditions, rain, sno w,fog or heavy spr ay. Driving and pa
rking 187